The amount of content in Fire Emblem Three Houses is already staggering. While fans can complete all four routes in 150 hours, the new story DLC will tack on several more hours of gameplay. Announced during the Smash Direct, Cindered Shadows will release on February 13, 2020 for $24.99. Although the trailer provided few details on the upcoming DLC, Nintendo of Japan shed more light on the story and gameplay.

The Trailer

The story content is the most curious aspect of the upcoming DLC. While the trailer shed light on the new characters, Nintendo did not release many details about the Abyss. Set beneath the coffers of Garreg Mach, the Abyss is home to the fourth house: the Ashen Wolves. While the main protagonists of this house include newcomers Yuri, Balthus, Hapi, and Constance, little is known about their motivations or background.

Story Details

In a recent press release, Nintendo of Japan shed more light on the Cindered Shadows story:

• The story begins with Byleth and the leaders of the three houses following a shady person into the basement of Garreg Mach. Our friends soon discover a town called the Abyss, which is no surprise to the Church.
• Byleth discovers the four new students who were cast into the Abyss after a fallout with the Church of Seiros. Each student has a reason for residing in the Abyss; however, they unite to protect the underground village.
• While the village lives in peace, a mysterious intruder threatens to the underground’s existence. For this reason, Yuri, Balthus, Hapi, and Constance are eager to solicit Byleth’s help to protect the underground.

Gameplay Details

In addition to the new story details, Nintendo of Japan detailed the gameplay changes. While the length of the new DLC story is unclear, we do know that it is a standalone experience. Here are the details:

• The DLC story will have its own save data that is accessed from the title screen. Much like Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna the Golden Country, Cindered Shadows is not dependent upon the main game. Save states and recruited characters from the base game will not interact with the DLC.
• Like the base game, the DLC can be played in “Classic” or “Casual” mode with “Normal” or “Hard” difficulty.
• The overall difficulty of Cindered Shadows is higher than the main game. The new battle maps will have added features that force players to consider the consequences of each move.
• Upon completion of Cindered Shadows‘ campaign, Byleth can recruit Yuri, Balthus, Hapi, and Constance into the base game.

Conclusion

While the reveal of Byleth for SSBU was uninspiring, the Fire Emblem Three Houses story DLC is exciting. The tales of the four Ashen Wolves are mysterious and will surely add depth to the main campaign. While the story is a standalone experience much like Xenoblade Chronicles 2 DLC, it will be interesting to see if Nintendo releases a physical version of Cindered Shadows.

But we want to know what you think. Are you excited about the new story DLC? What about the addition of Byleth in Super Smash Bros Ultimate? Will you purchase both DLC packs? Let us know in the comments below or the social media links on the right. Be sure to check out our SSBU article on Byleth as well as other news items on Pokemon, Modern Warfare, Capcom, Blizzard and more. Until next time, enjoy!